The Korea Herald

Leukemia patient’s lung transplant

Jul 28, 2011

Doctors at Gangnam Severance Hospital successfully transplanted a pair of lungs to a leukemia patient for the first time in Korea, the medical center said Tuesday.Dr. Paik Hyo-chae and Dr. Haam Seok-jin of the hospital said the patient, a 21-year-old male, received the operation in September last year and is recovering. The man had received a bone marrow transplant in June 2008 when his lungs show
First name tag on tooth developed

Jul 28, 2011

A group of doctors here has developed a special marker that can be stuck onto teeth for identification. A patent has been filed for the marker.According to Dental Leaders Club, the “tooth label” is made of “inlay,” a material to fill in cavities, and is stuck to the face of a back tooth. There, the name, national identification number as well as emergency contact are written. “Inlay is quite solid
Focus on osteoporosis

Jul 28, 2011

Her face told me immediately that something was not right. My mother-in-law is usually cheerful and enthusiastic to greet us when we visit her home for the holidays, but this time her voice was feeble and her face was darkened by a smothered grimace. Then I noticed the limp and her hand bracing her back. “Mother, what happened?” I asked.“Oh, I fell two days ago. I slipped as I stepped down from th
Once 420 pounds, man cut his weight in half by cycling

Jul 28, 2011

LEXINGTON, Kentucky ― Five years ago, Bill Cole weighed 420 pounds, had little strength and less endurance, and generally avoided physical exercise.Cole, 49, is a Lexington real estate consultant. Before that, he taught sociology at the University of Kentucky and Morehead State University.“I was born with some foot problems and had a bunch of surgeries, which kind of gave me an excuse not to be ac
Kids increasingly facing grown-up illnesses like eating disorders, obesity

Jul 28, 2011

DALLAS ― Are kids growing up too fast?Dr. Michelle Fowers says too many are.“I think all the time about kids with grown-up illnesses,” says Fowers, a pediatrician at Baylor Medical Center in Irving, Texas.Societal pressures, poor nutrition, and inadequate or too narrowly focused exercise are causing serious health problems for kids, experts say. These problems include obesity, high blood pressure
Prevent stomach cancer with food

Jul 28, 2011

A malignant tumor in the stomach, gastric cancer, is the most frequently diagnosed cancer in Korea. According to the National Health Insurance Corporation, 29,418 people were newly registered as gastric cancer patients in 2010, taking up almost 10 percent of the 218,884 new cancer patients that year.The high prevalence of gastric cancer here is due to Koreans’ diet pattern, said Dr. Lee Ju-ho of E
E-cigarettes, not as safe as it promised

Jul 28, 2011

Researchers have warned of the health risks of electronic cigarettes, increasingly popular among smokers who want to quit the habit or at least smoke less. E-cigarettes look like the real thing but consist of a rechargeable battery, a cartridge and a mouthpiece. The e-cigarettes are said to have no tobacco, offering an alternative to the nicotine patch or gum. With the U.S Food and Drug Administra
Monday blues: why we can’t smile on Monday

Jul 27, 2011

A new study suggests most people struggle to crack a smile until 11:16 a.m. on Mondays after a long weekend, the Telegraph reported.Due to Monday blues, people only manage to perform three and a half hours of productive work, according to the study by Marmite.Particularly, those aged between 45 and 54 are likely to suffer most and moan for around 12 minutes, the study said.Moreover, the experts po
Dieting does not lead to weight loss

Jul 25, 2011

(MCT)A new study suggests the majority of overweight people rarely return to their former shape through dieting, the Daily Mail reported.The survey of 25,000 people by the Medical Research Council’s National Survey of Health and Development further provided evidence of ‘yo-yo dieting,’ a phenomenon in which people are trapped in a cycle of losing weight and regaining it.According to the research,
20 percent of alcoholics are diabetic: study

Jul 21, 2011

Two out of every 10 alcoholics here suffer diabetes, too, recent research suggests. A study by Prof. Kim Dae-jin of the Catholic University on 226 male alcoholics from April-November 2009, saw 20.4 percent diagnosed with diabetes. The portion is twice that of non-alcoholics, the team said. Another 30.2 percent were diagnosed with impaired glucose tolerance, which is perceived as a step before diab
Free checkups to be given to multiracial children

Jul 21, 2011

The Korean Medicine Service Team Abroad, a group of young Oriental medical doctors, will be providing free medical examinations for children of multiethnic families through Sunday at the Seoul Character/Licensing Fair in Coex, Seoul. At the festival dedicated to children’s welfare and fun, the doctors will provide free examinations on atopic dermatitis, rhinitis and various allergic reactions. The
Ewha hospital wins JCI accreditation

Jul 21, 2011

Ewha Womans University Medical Center earned accreditation from Joint Commission International on Monday. The hospital said it was tested on a total of 1,221 factors and passed. The JCI evaluation categories range from price to safety, hygiene, technology, facilities and more.The approval from the internationally acclaimed medical facility evaluation organization will allow the hospital to expand
Common misconceptions about emergency care

Jul 21, 2011

In this modern era of information, medical information is something that is sought by everyone. This means that, not only are many patients and guardians well informed, they also actively seek information about diseases. However, it is difficult to learn about emergency conditions unless you have been subject to them. Song Keun-jeongCompared to other diseases, few people know about or understand
How to stay healthy during summer heat

Jul 21, 2011

The sweltering heat after the three-week-long rain spell is bringing sleepless nights to most parts of the nation as the daytime temperature stays well above 33 degrees Celsius and the nighttime temperature remains at above 25 degrees Celsius on average. According to the Health Insurance Review and Assessment service, the number of people visiting medical facilities over heatstroke or sunstroke in
Too much screen time? Experts might say you’re facing technology addiction

Jul 20, 2011

DALLAS ― Michael Decker is always reachable. The 42-year-old creative director from Dallas sleeps with his phone nearby on his nightstand. From when he wakes up and checks it until he sets it down before bed, his phone is constantly with him.“It’s an intrusion into your own private life,” he says. “It leads to burnout if you can never turn it off.”Decker, who owns an iPhone, a laptop and an iPad,